I spent the day back from the holiday touring a commercial space.  It struck as odd how often commercial spaces are neglected aesthetically.  In many ways, public spaces are even more important than residential ones when it comes to appearance. 

The space a business maintains is its face.  Certainly the employees are important, and do represent the character of a institution, but a judgement is made instantaneously, as soon as a glance is made.  The judgment can be unconscious, but an unkempt office or shop whispers, “You are going to get poor service here.”

I suppose every culture understands this to some level.  Monuments and cathedrals are/were built strictly to testify to greatness.  Our modern day temple of consumerism, Starbucks, is about much more than coffee.